Gwen Media

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Gwen Media
Type	Private (Adult)
Founded	1999 in Los Angeles, California
Headquarters
Key people	Isabella Sinclaire, Owner (Current) Founders Robert "Bob" Zak, Founder (deceased) John Fitzgerald (Thndrshark), Founder
Website	www.gwenmedia.com

Gwen Media is an adult film company based in California, United States which produces latex fetish and bdsm films and maintains a membership website featuring the same. The current company is a successor to the original film company, using the same name and same commercial website url.

This new company is owned by notable BDSM performer and dominatrix, Isabella Sinclaire, who was one of the primary performers of the original company.

1 Background
2 Legal Dispute ends original company
3 New company and Recent Events
4 Possible future legal dispute
5 References
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Background

The original Gwen Media film company (formally known as "Gwenmedia Los Angeles") was a Los Angeles, California based film company that concentrated in creating Latex and BDSM focused adult films (usually considered "pornographic" due to the usage of many specific "adult only" themes in their films which included BDSM, heavy bondage, implied sci-fi bodily conversions and full frontal nudity. Gwen Media did NOT use female-to-female sex, except in a few of their produced films, such as "Fetish Girls". There was NO male-to-female sex in any of the original Gwen Media films that were publicly released).

The original Gwen Media was originally formed by Bob Zak and John Fitzgerald (see Thndrshark.com) as an outgrowth of Zak's fetish clothing business, "Whiplash USA".[1] Fitzgerald served as Gwen Media's original film director and primary screen writer until he left the original company in 2002.[2] Fitzgerald was ultimately replaced by Jon White as primary film director of the original company. Jon White would later succeed Bob Zak as the Managing Producer of the company after Zak died in June 2005.[3]

The original Gwen Media had been primarily producing adult films from late (generally considered September) 1999 until the then recognized management, led by Jon White, officially ended production of the original company in March 2006.[4]

In the beginning, the original Gwen Media produced only a few high-end production films a year due to their elaborate settings and production values which prevented "factory mass production".[5] It would be these elaborate settings and emotional convincing performers that established Gwen Media as the premier fetish adult film company in the United States, surpassing the few United States specific fetish companies such as California Star and HOM Studios as well as the occasion film productions from outiside the United States including notable long-time fetish producers Peter W. Czernich Marquis (magazine) of Germany and Skin Two of England. Gwen Media developed a core audience and devoted fan following that allowed Gwen Media to increase their film production level to a regular production amount of approximately 4 films EACH MONTH of varying time lengths (45 min – 120 min) near the end of the original company's production life cycle in 2006, culminating in over 110 known released DVD movies.

The original Gwen Media's high success was largely attributed to a definite and continual focus by Zak and the production staff on using their successful fundamental basis of specific BDSM performers, elaborate sets and locales, definite scripts and high-end latex costuming in all their film productions. Zak did not even offer photogalleries on the website until 2001, leaving the site only as a commercial re-sales site for the films.[6] Photography was almost exclusively used as promotional material for the films and "test-out" of audience interest to proposed film sessions and focuses. It was this continual focus as a specific fetish film company that used direct audience feedback that contributed to the original company's success where other BDSM film makers had NOT gained a reliable footing into the adult market such as those produced by known BDSM specific adult film production companies including Rick Savage (Noose Videos)[7], the late Bruce Sevens[8] and Bizarre Videos[9]. The original Gwen Media would later form a distribution partnership with Bizarre Videos for their films.[10]

While many had thought the usage of definite scripts and elaborate plots and extensive full-body latex costuming would limit the "porn" audience for these films, it was those very factors that had developed the definite audience following of latex fetish fans who had very little specific fetish film product to select from and from more "vanilla" adult fans who wanted something more elaborate than the general offerings from generic adult film makers. Through the course of their initial development, Gwen Media widely promoted many of their initial performers including Isabella Sinclaire (current owner of succeeding company), Jewell Marceau, Emily Marilyn (aka Molly Matthews), Eden Wells, Anastasia Pierce and Paige Richards, as well as several of their later performers including Amanda Wildefyre, (Mistress) Aradia, and of course, Jean Bardot who has found large-scale acceptance in the fetish market in her role as "Rubberella".[11]

The original Gwen Media's most successful products were their various continual high-end production film series, including "Part-time"; "Ivy Manor" (episode 5 entitled "Teacher's Pet" won 2003 AVN Best BDSM film,[12] gathering large-scale adult film recognition for this "niche" fetish film company); "Sessions" (episode 8 was nominated for 2004 AVN Best BDSM film)[13]; "Crimson Mansion"[14] and "Rubberella".

[edit] Legal Dispute ends original company

The Gwen Media web site (www.gwenmedia.com) was closed in June 2006 with the front page displaying the message “Account for domain gwenmedia.com has been suspended” . This unclear statement was posted after a public announcement was made in March 2006 by the succeeding management to actually end all productions of the company after the death of company owner and founder, Bob Zak, in June 2005 from heart failure.[15] The announcement was met with curiosity as it was assumed that the company had completely ended with the public statement in March 2006, and the site would be completely removed rather than being merely "suspended".

The PUBLIC reason for this "suspension" was revealed in September 2006 to have been a legal dispute between one-time lead performer Isabella Sinclaire and company owner and producer, Bob Zak.

http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary_Navigation=Articles&Action=View_Article&Content_ID=276134

The case was based on ownership of key products of Gwen Media's production company, most notably the "Ivy Manor" film line which was considered the basis for the company's initial financial success and allowed Gwen Media to prosper and build up the company from that initial successful money generation. Sinclaire was the main star of this Gwen Media film series. Sinclaire stated that she owned the name of the series which was based on her company's incorporated name. This challenge was disputed by Bob Zak who argued that the film series was their property.

In September 2006, the legal ownership case of the "Ivy Manor" series was determined in Sinclaire's favor. In order to compensate Sinclaire for her legal fees, the judge in the case awarded Sinclaire complete ownership of Gwen Media and all its assets including all of the films. This award was not limited to only the "Ivy Manor" series, but included all of Gwen Media's trademarks, photostock and properties.

[edit] New company and Recent Events

After being awarded full legal ownership of the original company,[16] Sinclaire has announced publicly that she intends to reactivate Gwen Media as a fully separate, though completely owned, company parallel to her original adult film company, "Ivy Manor Videos".

Sinclaire continues to operate and produce for her own original adult film company "Ivy Manor Videos" at this time.

Sinclaire has reactivated Gwen Media as an active production company as of February 14th 2007, after placing her re-activication notice on the Gwen Media website on December 12th 2006.

Though awarded of all Gwen Media's trademarks, products, and resources, Sinclaire has made no indication that she would reactivate other Gwen Media associated companies at this time such as "Crimson Mansion" or "American Pinups". At this time, such websites remain "suspended".[17]

Sinclaire has not stated publicly whether she will rehire any of the former management of Zak's incarnation of the company for her incarnation of Gwen Media. Sinclaire DID state publicly that she was in negotiations to work with co-founder John Fitzgerald to write new stories for her incarnation of Gwen Media.[18] According to the report, Sinclaire stated she had "contacted John Fitzgerald and we will be continuing the Ivy Manor series until we complete the 10-part series as planned". Sinclaire has stated in her first public press release for her incarnation of Gwen Media (dated February 14th 2007) that their association is a permanent one as Fitzgerald has been hired as creative producer and primary film director for the successive company[19].

Sinclaire has not stated publicly whether she will continue to follow the latex fetish focus of Bob Zak's production or change to her own noted BDSM style which does not use latex fetish as the primary focus either at this time. However based on some of the initial photo productions that have been publicly released, it seems that she will maintain the latex sci-fi focus at least for the initial time.

[edit] Possible future legal dispute

There is a quiet contention at this time that the famous "Rubberella" character, primarily portrayed by noted fetish performer Jean Bardot, is also now part of Isabella Sinclaire's Gwen Media. The Rubberella character was originally created by Zak and Bardot to be marketed specifically as part of Gwen Media.[20] Bardot has stated that she was awarded control of the property by former manager Jon White before White ended the company in March 2006. But the judge who awarded Sinclaire control over all Gwen Media assets and trademarks did not state an exclusion for this character. Thus Sinclaire could restart Rubberella as well as any of the other original series with completely new performers, akin to the James Bond film franchise where many different actors have portrayed the same character.

What is known is that Bardot has stated that she does NOT have legal rights to re-release any of the seven films that she portrayed the Rubberella character for Zak's Gwen Media which was awarded and transferred to Sinclaire's ownership. Many believe that Sinclaire and Bardot are quietly trying to come to an agreement on the matter without having to bring any legal contention to the matter as to the rights of the creator (Bardot) versus that of the producer (Sinclaire).

Recently both the new Gwen Media and Jean Bardot's Rubberella websites have celebrated the return of Gwen Media with photoshoots featuring Sinclaire and Bardot together. The series on the Rubberella site (entitled "Exam Room") includes Sinclaire giving Bardot a kiss which leave a large lipstick mark, which remains in subsequent photos in the series. This kiss suggests that the two have come to some public agreement involving the Rubberella character (having "kissed and made up"). While this initial public promotion campaign capitalizes on the success of one of the most successful of the former Gwen Media products, neither Bardot nor Sinclaire have stated whether they will continue to work together at this time beyond this initial public promotion campaign.

[edit] New Gwenmedia ends Classic Rubberella

On Friday, July 6th 2007, a message was posted on the "Rubberella" website formally stating that there was an ending of Jean Bardot's association with the character

"-MEMBERS-

Jean Bardot is no longer Rubberella !! www.Rubberella.com as you know it will no longer, in anyway, be associated to or with Jean Bardot."

This message obviously indicates that Isabella is indeed the controller of the character and will continue to use the character as part of her new Gwen Media in future projects. At the current time, it is unclear who will succeed Jean in the role of Rubberella.

There was no listing of the reason of the ending of Jean's involvement with the character nor if the ending was an amicable one, nor if Jean will continue to work with Gwen Media in other roles than this one.

On Monday, July 16th 2007, the Rubberella.com website was suspended by Gwenmedia management, possibly pending restart at some undefined later time.

[edit] New Gwenmedia formally restarts "Ivy Manor" series

Gwenmedia has announced that its original series "Ivy Manor" will be available for public screening on Wednesday, November 28th 2007. This restart of the series marks the formal restart of the film production of the original production series of Gwenmedia. The new film "Ivy Manor 5: Rubber Dreams" is a re-imagining of the original AVN award winning version "Ivy Manor 5: Teacher's Pet" as if the original series storyline had been continued by John Fitzgerald.

The recent film entitled "Ivy Manor Slaves" released by the new Gwenmedia was not part of this series, despite having the same story writer/director (John Fitzgerald) and primary performer (Jewell Marceau). On November 25th 2007, the AVN Awards committee announced that "Ivy Manor Slaves" was nominated for "2008 AVN Awards Best Speciality film-BDSM".[21]

[edit] Jean Bardot starts own production

With a new public announcement made on November 14, 2007, Jean Bardot has stated she is completely separate from Gwenmedia and will begin releasing her own films from her own production company. There was no mention if she would ever work with Gwenmedia in any form at all in the future. While Jean is a directly competiting producer to Gwenmedia now, several other performers who work with Gwenmedia also release their own film products separate from Gwenmedia though in the same fetish idea, including Jewell Marceau and Anastasia Pierce. Thus it remains to be seen if Jean will work with Gwenmedia in the future.